The Novoshirokinskoye mine situated in Eastern Siberia’s Zabaikalsky Region has commenced production.

Highland Gold Mining said the rest of this year will see a range of different processing technologies tested at the mine which will process nearly 30,000t of low-grade stock piled ore, increasing to 280,000t of ore in 2010.

By 2011, plant throughput is likely to reach the annual processing capacity of 450,000t.

The mine will generate zinc and lead concentrate with a yearly output in the range of 8,000 to 9,000t of zinc concentrate, 20,000 to 28,000t of lead concentrate, 35,000 to 40,000oz of gold and 700,000 to 800,000oz of silver.

Production over the mine’s lifetime is likely to be 1.5 million ounces in gold and gold equivalents.